International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) Stock Price Up 1.5%

Shares of International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM) rose 1.5% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $185.71 and last traded at $183.97. Approximately 1,684,133 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 65% from the average daily volume of 4,814,588 shares. The stock had previously closed at $181.25.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on IBM shares. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $179.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 25th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of International Business Machines from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, April 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $165.00 to $186.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, March 7th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of International Business Machines from $155.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 25th. Finally, Evercore ISI upgraded shares of International Business Machines from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their price target for the company from $165.00 to $200.00 in a report on Friday, January 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, International Business Machines has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $178.08.

International Business Machines Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 0.96. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $188.62 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $168.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $168.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.57 and a beta of 0.70.

International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 24th. The technology company reported $3.87 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.78 by $0.09. International Business Machines had a net margin of 12.13% and a return on equity of 39.55%. The business had revenue of $17.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.29 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.60 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.07 earnings per share for the current year.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 9th were given a $1.66 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 8th. This represents a $6.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.61%. International Business Machines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 81.67%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Business Machines

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in IBM. Naples Money Management LLC bought a new position in shares of International Business Machines in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Creekmur Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Live Oak Investment Partners bought a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Briaud Financial Planning Inc bought a new stake in shares of International Business Machines during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. 58.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About International Business Machines

International Business Machines Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides integrated solutions and services worldwide. The company operates through Software, Consulting, Infrastructure, and Financing segments. The Software segment offers a hybrid cloud and AI platforms that allows clients to realize their digital and AI transformations across the applications, data, and environments in which they operate.